Christopher Nolan Adapts The Odyssey for Summer Release

Christopher Nolan is directing an adaptation of the ancient Greek story "The Odyssey" for release this summer. " Nolan said he imagines every film could be his last, which shapes his approach to each project. He stated that he aims to give audiences the fullest set of images and events possible for any given story.

Nolan said he tries to place the audience inside the story rather than viewing it from a distance. He described his goal as creating the most involving and extreme version of a story possible. The director said he visualizes the film as an audience member while writing and then works to take viewers into the world of the characters.

For "The Odyssey," he said he wants to put the audience inside the Trojan horse and on the deck of Odysseus's ship.

Nolan graduated with a degree in literature and was rejected by film school. He continued making films on weekends with friends before completing "Memento" in 1999. The film took a year to find distribution after executives expressed concerns about its complex structure. It later received an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay.

"Odyssey" brought Matt Damon and thousands of cast and crew members to locations in Greece, Iceland, Morocco, Italy, and Scotland. The production shot two million feet of IMAX film. Nolan said the project required pushing the limits of what was possible and became the biggest film the team has made.